About the Stadium Petrovsky Enjoying one of the most unique locations in Europe, the Petrovsky has been home to Zenit since its opening in 1925. Originally it was built as a 40,000 athletics stadium on the Petrograd side of the Malaya Neva River in the centre of Saint Petersburg. It is linked to the centre of the city by a bridge.
The stadium was one of the largest in the Soviet empire before the 1980 Summer Olympics, and was considered as the main stadium before funding was found for the Luzhniki in Moscow. In the early 1990’s the stadium was redesigned for the 1994 Goodwill Games, including the conversion of the stadium into all all seater arena. The current stadium is very simple – an open oval shaped stadium which is completely uncovered and three different coloured seats (red, orange and yellow). Views are quite good but during the months of October and November the stadium is not the most hospitable place to watch football as the temperature can drop to -10degrees or worse.
There are plans to build a new stadium on the island which will hold over 60,000 and be very similar in design to the Emirates Stadium. Whilst no definite date has been set for commencement of the project, it has been announced it will open before the start of 2010.
Who plays there? - Zenit St Petersburg http://www .zenit.ruThe stadium is home to one of Russia’s most consistent teams in the past few seasons – Zenit St Petersburg. The club can also lay claim to be the richest in Russian football thanks to the continued sponsorship of Gazprom, one of Russia’s largest and most successful gas companies.
They were originally formed in 1925 as a team from the local metal works team (Metallurgical LMZ). It took then until 1944 to win their first honour when they won the USSR Cup. They won the Soviet Championship in 1984 before going through a period of inactivity. However, after returning to the top division in 1996 the club have been very much at home at the top end of the Russian leagues. In 1999 they won the Russian cup again, commencing a period of success for the club that took in further cup success in 2002 and 2003. In between they finished runners up in the Russian league before winning the title again in 2007, holding off a spirited challenge from the Moscow trio of CKSA, Lokomotiv and Spartak.
They have had some success in Europe as well, reaching the quarter finals in 2006. This season they will hope to go just as far after being drawn in a group with Everton, AZ Alkmaar, Larissa and Nurnberg. Next season they also can look forward to a crack at the Champions League as they will go straight into the final qualifying round as Russian champions. The stadium occasionally hosts the national team, the last occasion being in 2005 during the qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup.
How to get there The Stadium is quite easily walk able from the city centre. However, there is a metro stop – Sportivnaya located opposite the complex. If you decide to walk then head north across the river on the Dvortsoviy Most, just north of the Hermitage Place. Then carry on past the Pushkin House before crossing the river again over Birzhevoyt Bridge and the stadium will be straight ahead. Sportivnaya metro stop is just three stops north on line 4 from Dostoyevskaya.
For a more detailed overview of who plays where in Russia, go to Footiemap.com to access the excellent Russian Football page.
Getting a ticket Zenit are one of the best supported teams in Russia and average just over 20,000 which means that on most occasions the stadium is around 75% full. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket booths on the city side of the stadium right up until kick off, or from a number of ticket agencies in the city centre including the Iceberg Chain, Artis Theater Agency and Titanic.
Ticket prices are so cheap that you can actually pick up a season ticket for less than £40. For most games you can purchase a decent seat for around 500 roubles (£8). Avoid seats behind the goal as the athletics track can cause sight line issues. As all seats are uncovered remember to bring a raincoat (and a blanket!) with you.
Getting Around Whilst you will see plenty of trams and buses running around the centre of Saint Petersburg, they are old, crowded and very prone to breaking down. Whilst not as pleasing on the eye as is Moscow counterpart, the metro is the best bet in travelling around the city. It has four lines which cover most corners and single tickets are 10 roubles.
The second busiest airport in Russia currently handles nearly 5 million passengers a year and is a model for all that was wrong about Communist Russia. The chaos starts some 10 miles south of the city and although it has been recently upgraded, still suffers from poor design, confusing signage and no real facilities for travellers.
To reach the city centre take bus 13 or K3 to Moskovskaya metro station which run every fifteen minutes and costs 15 roubles. A taxi would cost over $50 to the city centre, although the Marshrutka minibuses run to the city centre and should set you back no more than 500 roubles. Currently British Airways fly here from London Heathrow twice daily, supplementing the daily flight from London Gatwick from Rossiya.
About the Stadium Petrovsky
